Automatically-opening music rack



Nov. 17,1925 1,562,393

P. VOGT AUTOMATICALLY OPENING MUSIC RACK Filed Dec. 11, 1923 la um-Mom Patented Nov. 17, 19.25.

UNITED STATES PATENT opp IPI-IILIPP VOGT, OF UTICA NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO CHARLES L. LET

NEW YORK AUTOMATICALLY OPENING MUSIC RACK. l 7

Application filed December 11, 1923. Serial No. 680,020.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, PI-ITLIPP Voo'r, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Utica, in the county of Oneida and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatically Opening Music Racks; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the reference numerals marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

My present invention relates to a music rack of the folding type and particularly to one which is adapted to automatically unfold or extend itself when released.

The purpose of my invention is to provide a music rack of the folding type which is adapted to automatically unfold or extend itself and further to provide convenient and preferably spring operated means for holding the rack closed when its parts are moved to folded position.

Further purposes are to provide a music rack of the class described which is simple and durable in construction and operation and adapted to be readily opened or closed.

Further purposes of my invention will appear from the specification and claims herein.

Fi l is a plan view of a music rack embodying my invention with the parts in unfold-ed -or extended position and with the parts on one side of the rack shown in dotted lines in partly folded position.

Fig. 2 is a front viewfof the device on a larger scale when its parts are closed.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation'of the device as.

shown in Fig. 2 as seen from the'right hand side.

Fig. 4 is a front view on an enlarged scale of the upper left hand portion of the rack when open but with the ear 38 in line with the side bar 18.

Fig. 5 is a similar view of the rear side of said portion of the rack.

Referring to the drawings in a more particular description it will be seen that the device comprises a central upstanding stem 10 having a pair of oppositely disposed parallel slots 11 and 12 extending from points a little belowthe upper end of the ,stem.; to W is l le more than; half. ay. ew r ds e e] P e ean the d a alernes the lower end of thestem; a pair of bottom bars 13-13 having a forwardly extending flange 1 1 and pivoted at spaced points by pivots 15 to the central stem near its lower end, each of said bottom bars having a slot 16 extending from near th eouter end of the bar to a point near its inner end; a pair of normally diagonally arranged arms 17 reson', or UrIoA,

spectively pivoted at their lower-ends tothe central stem 10 by the pivots- 15 already mentioned; two side bars-18 for the outer side of the rack pivoted respectively by pivot pin 19, near .the upper ends of said sidebars to'the upper ends of the arms 17 andtwo top pieces 20 pivoted at their outer ends by pivot 19 to, the outer ends ofthe arms 17. I l

The lower end of each of the outer side bars 18 is provided with a pin'21 whereby the lower end of each side bar is pivotally and slidingly connected to the bottom bar on its side of the rack by said head-ed pin 21 projecting through the slot 16 on said bottom bar. Similarly. the inner end of each of the top pieces 20 is providedwith a headed pin 22 slidingly mounted in the slot 11 or 12 of the central stem 10.

It will now be seen that the music rack so far described may be folded by'the members of the opposite sides of said stem being brought towards said stem and over-lapping it either to the front or the back as hereinafter described. This is done by pushing down the inner end of the top pieces 20 so that the headed pins 22 will ride down through the slots on said stem and separate.- ly or at the same time pushing inwardly upon the edge bars 18 so that the headed pins v21 will. ride inwardly along the s1ot 16 of the bottom bars.- During these operations v the arms 17 will approach and finally overlap this half of the central piece and the bottombar will approach and finally overlap its half of the central stem. V

,Fig. l shows the parts on the right hand half of the rack in partly folded position.

In order, however, to aid and expedite the unfolding of the rack and particularly to hold the rack in extended position until the user wishes to fold the rack again there are provided springs 23 and24; on each-half of the rack- The spring 23consists of a looped or coiled spring having one or more loops about the pivot '19 and disposed between the Cal therebelow with the opposite ends 23 and 23* of the springextending along the side piece 18 and the arms 17 respectively and held to said members 01": the rack as by pins 25 and 26 respectively. The construction, arrangement and tension of the spring is such as to tend toforce the extended ends or the spring apart and so tend to force the side piece 18 and arms 17 apart. Similarly there is arranged between the diagonal arm and its subjacent top piece 2O the spring 24- having oppositely extended ends 24 'and 24 and held to said members 17 and 20 by pins 27 and 28 so as to tend to force the toppiece 20 and the diagonal arms 17 apart.

Close to the upper end of the central stem 10 there is provided a pin 29 projecting from both front and rear surfaces of said stem. The portion at the front serves as a stop to engage the normally diagonally, arranged arms 17 when they are folded to overlap said stem, said stop serving to prevent either arm being swung past the center of said stem. Similarly the portionofsaid pin 29 at the back engages the top pieces 20 and prevents their being swung past-center. As the arm and top piece on each side of the rack are pivoted together at th'eirupper ends a stop ope-rating eitl'ier against the arm or the top piecewould be sufiicient; but I prefer to have the stop operate against both parts.

A little wa s down from the top of one side bar 18, say the right hand bar, there is provided a finger 30 extending towards 5 the center of the'rack, having a downwardly extending hook 31. Preferably this finger is at the back of said bar 18, as shown in the drawings. Upon the back of the other side bar 18, is provided a co-operating catch member or plate 32, mounted to slide a short distance longitudinally of said bar 18 as by an elongated rivet 38moving in a slot in said bar. The front of said rivet is securedto, a finger piece 8et, lying flat upon the front surface of the bar18. The top of the plate 82 has an upstanding shoulder '35, adapted to engage the hook 31 of the finger 30 when both halves of" the music rac'k are in folded position. This member of the catch is spring t'ensioned so as to be forced upward upon the bar by mea'nsjof a looped'springfitl. The upper edge of "the plate 32 has: a slopingedge37 co-operating' wi'th thef'orward and lower edge orth finger som form a ca iirace so that the'downward pressure ofthe finger 30 uponthe cam face-37 when the'two members of the catch are'ibrou'ght together temporarily depresses the "plate'32 against the tension of spring 36 until the hook 31' passes the cam face-37. Then 'theplatef32 is again forced up by the pnagsseaaa the-shoulder saengages the fing 31, The details of thesepar-ts are-swaits. Figs. sand 5; To

' release the ra-ck from fcl'ded position; the

user temporarily slides the finger piece 34: downwardly and thereupon the springs 28 and 24 force the rack apart.

- Upon each side bar 18 there are pivotally mounted cars 38 by means or rivets 39. To the upper ends of each of these ears 1s swingingly secured a spring wire 4L0. These spring wires may be used as page holders for the book or leaflet of music upon the rack. When a very wide book is being used one or both of-the ears 38 may be swung outwardly as shown in Fig. 1 in order togive greater width between the page holders so. As shown in Fig. 4 a pin 41 maybe mounted upon the bar 18 a little distance from the pivot 39' to engage shoulders 42 and 43 upon the ear 38 at the opposite extremes of desired motion or said ear.

A socket at secured to the rear'side of the stem 10 aitords means for detachably securingthis music rack to the top of any suitable upright after the usual manner.

What I claim as new and desire to se cure by Letters Patent is:

I 1. In 'an automatically-opening music rack, the combination or a central stem with longitudinally extending spaced slots, two oppositely disposed flanged bottom bars pivotally connected at their inner ends to the bottom of the central stem and each having a slot extending from near its outer end nearly to its inner end, two oppositely disposed diagonally arranged arms pivoted at their lower ends to the bottom or the central stem, two side bars each having its upper. end pivoted to the upper end of one of the arms and with its lower end having a headed pin pivotally and slidingly mounted in the slot of one of the bottom bars, two top pieces, each pivoted at its outer end toJthe'upper end of one of the arms and with its inner end having a headed pin pivotally and slidingly mounted in one 01 the slots in the stem, springs attached to the top piece, to the diagonal arm and to the side bar on each side adjacent the connecting ends thereof and adapted to move the parts to extended position and yieldingly hold them in such extended position against the tension of saidsprings and means on the rack members for holding the rack in folded position.

2. In an automatically-opening music rack, the combination orla central stem with longitudinally extending spaced slots, two

oppositely disposed, flanged bottom bars pivotally connected at their inner ends to the bottom of the central stem' and: each havingjaslot extending from near its outerv end nearly to its inner end, two oppositely disposed diagonally arranged armspivotjed' attheit'lew'er ends; to the bottom Of t'h'e central. stem, two'sidebars each havingit's ista headed pin pivotally and slidingly mounted in the slot of one of the bottom bars, two top pieces, each pivoted at its outer end to the upper end of one of the arms and with its inner end having a headed pin pivotally and slidingly mounted in one of the slots in the stem, springs operatively connected to the top piece, diagonal arm and side bar on each side and adapted'to move the parts to extended position and yieldingly hold them in such extended position and a spring catch having its members on opposite sides of the vrack for holding the rack in folded position.

3. In a music rack, the combination of a main frame having edge members, ears pivotally secured to said edge members and adapted to be housed thereon or extended there-beyond and spring leaf-holders secured to said ears and adapted to operate either from the folded positionof said ears or from the extended position thereof.

4. In a music rack, the combination of a main frame having edge members, ears pivotally secured to said edge members and adapted tobe housed thereon or extended there-beyond and spring leaf-holders pivotally secured to said ears and adapted to swing to engage the leaf either from the folded position ofsaidears or from the extended position thereof.

In Witness whereof I have affixed mysignature, this 12th day of November, 1923.

, PHILIPP VOGT. 

